Lintang and the Pirate Queen

by Tamara Moss

Lintang pressed her lips together in a thin line. ‘I don’t believe it.’

  ‘It’s what happened, whether you choose to believe it or not. Afterwards, the pirate queen burned their house to the ground. She was found watching the flames with their blood still on her hands. The servants told us later she’d been staying with the family for many months. Apparently she’d rowed all the way to Jalakta from Allay after stealing the necklace, which is quite a feat. Impossible, some say, but she’s been known to do impossible things before. The family must’ve discovered the necklace, and she’d had to kill them before they turned her in.’

  ‘It’s not true,’ Lintang said stubbornly.

  ‘If it’s not true, why was she seen covered in their blood? Why does she have Ambassador Farah’s identity tag?’

  ‘There’s an explanation. I know there is.’ When Governor Karnezis frowned, she said, ‘I know what it’s like to have people not believe you. Captain Shafira’s telling the truth.’

  A frustrated laugh passed Governor Karnezis’s lips. ‘You’re wrong to put so much faith in her.’

  ‘No, I’m not.’

  He sank onto his elbows, leaning hard on the wall. As he did, a series of short, sharp bangs echoed across the square. Lintang jumped as smoke billowed out from the opposite building. ‘What’s going on?’

  A low horn echoed three times. The people below moved quicker. It was like watching millipedes swarm before rain.

  Governor Karnezis didn’t even flinch. ‘You see?’ he said quietly, watching the smoke climb into the clouds above. ‘Fire, just like at Ambassador Farah’s house.’

  ‘Are you saying Captain Shafira did that?’

  ‘We can never contain her.’ He sighed. ‘Even in the dragon cage, she’s somehow escaped.’ He glanced sideways at Lintang. ‘There’s a reward for the return of that necklace, you know.’

  Lintang couldn’t tear her gaze from the smoke. Captain Shafira was breaking out of prison with Bayani. She’d be here soon to rescue Lintang.

  ‘A large reward,’ Governor Karnezis continued. ‘Mountain upon mountain of gemstones. The Zulttania’s counsel want it back.’

  Lintang hardly heard him. ‘What am I going to do with a bunch of shiny rocks?’

  He gestured around them. ‘You could build a house this big. Hire servants to make your food, do your chores. You could own all the land on one of the Twin Islands, if you really wanted.’

  Lintang finally turned to him.

  ‘You’d be as rich as the queens of old,’ he said. ‘That ancient palace in Sundriya could be yours. Imagine living there.’

  Lintang’s eyes widened.

  ‘Imagine having feasts in your honour. Imagine having elegant clothes and a dozen rooms to yourself, and gardens, and horses, and people to worship you.’

  Lintang had seen the old palace in Sundriya. It wasn’t in use anymore – there hadn’t been kings and queens on the Twin Islands for centuries – but it could be repaired. She could live there, just like royalty.

  Governor Karnezis leaned forward until she could smell traces of mollowood smoke on his sky-blue coat. ‘All you have to do is tell me where the necklace is, and everything you ever want is yours.’

  The fantasy vanished.

  That necklace was Captain Shafira’s most precious thing. It was the crown of Allay, the only proof she had that something wasn’t right in her country … and she’d given it up.

  She’d handed it over to Mother, just so she could take Lintang. She could’ve chosen any of the village girls, but she’d picked Lintang. She’d insisted on Lintang. She’d believed in Lintang, even when everyone in Desa called her a liar and a troublemaker.

  Captain Shafira had shown faith in Lintang when no one else had. And Lintang had let her down, again and again.

  She wouldn’t let her down now.

  Make me proud, Lintang.

  ‘I can’t tell you,’ she said. ‘I’m sorry.’

  Governor Karnezis let out a long sigh. ‘How disappointing.’

  ‘LINTANG!’

  The voice came from below. Lintang leaned over to find the market square deserted. Where had all the people gone?

  But no – the place wasn’t entirely empty. Captain Shafira stood at the base of the building, cupping her hands around her mouth. ‘Lintang, jump!’

  ‘What?’

  Captain Shafira couldn’t possibly be asking her to fall three storeys. She’d die.

  ‘Lintang, please, for once, just trust me!’

  Lintang sucked in a breath and braced her hands on the wall. The captain wanted trust? She’d show her trust.

  ‘No!’ Governor Karnezis said, but Lintang was already springing over, flinching as she waited for the long drop to the bottom …

  Except her feet landed immediately on solid ground. She staggered and glanced down. It was as if she were standing in mid-air. There must have been a balcony of thin crystal around the rooftop, maybe to stop people from falling.

  ‘Run!’ Captain Shafira said, but Governor Karnezis reached over and grabbed Lintang’s injured arm.

  She screamed as white hot pain, worse than a jellyfish sting, sizzled along the serpent fang’s wound. Governor Karnezis jerked his hand away, alarmed at her reaction.

  Lintang used the opportunity to stumble along the side of the building. She could barely see from the spots of pain blossoming in her vision. Behind her was a thud and a second, heavier set of footsteps. Governor Karnezis was chasing her.

  ‘There’ll be steps at the corner.’ Captain Shafira was following along below. ‘Be careful; don’t slip down them.’

  Lintang reached the end of the rooftop and almost went flying. Her heel skidded down the first few steps and she landed on her behind.

  ‘Get up, get up!’

  She was still climbing to her feet when Governor Karnezis snatched her hair. She cried out as he yanked her backwards.

  ‘I won’t let you escape, not this time.’ He spoke loudly, and Lintang realised he was talking to Captain Shafira, not her. He was breathing hard from the run.

  Others gathered beneath the invisible staircase. It seemed Captain Shafira had had help breaking out of prison – Quahah, Eire, Mei and Xiang stood with her and Bayani beneath the crisscrossing lines of red, blue and green lanterns. Lintang fought to catch her breath. She had almost made it to them.

  ‘Let her go, Karnezis,’ Captain Shafira said, drawing her sword.

  Governor Karnezis tightened his grip on Lintang’s hair. ‘This is the closest I’ve come to trapping you, Shafira. Do you think I’m going to give up my only advantage?’

  Lintang gazed helplessly at the others. Bayani clenched and unclenched his fists, but he was the only one who moved. The rest of them remained still. Tense.

  ‘Xiang?’ Governor Karnezis said suddenly. ‘Xiang of the Elite Vigil Unit, is that you?’

  Xiang held her sword aloft. Rather than answer him, she said, ‘Still got that present I gave you, Lintang? Just in case?’

  Lintang gasped. The dart pouch.

  She grappled for the cord around her neck and whipped it out before Governor Karnezis could realise what she was doing. Her fingers fumbled with the drawstring. Just one dart, she needed just one dart –

  But Governor Karnezis saw the pouch and clamped his free hand around her injured arm again. Scorching pain crackled through her, in her vision, across her nerves, against her throat …

  She screamed. And screamed. It was like fire. She would’ve cut off her arm rather than feel it anymore.

  ‘She’s a murderer, Lintang.’ Governor Karnezis’s voice floated into her brain from far away. ‘She’s a criminal. Drop the pouch. Tell me where the necklace is.’

  She couldn’t, even if she wanted to. The pain buzzed in her brain, making it impossible to remember anything.

  ‘From Islander to Islander,’ Governor Karnezis said. ‘Come on, child. We need to work together.’

  Lintang stared at him through tears, keeping his gaze on hers as her finge
rs dug into the pouch. Just one dart, just one dart …

  Make me proud, Lintang.

  She caught hold of one and sobbed in relief. The pouch dropped from her grip, leaving the single dart between her thumb and forefinger. Before Governor Karnezis could react, she stabbed him in the hand.

  He released her with a shout. She jerked forward, her arms flailing out to grab at –

  Nothing, there was nothing to hold onto, and suddenly she was plummeting.

  Down, down, down.

  Bayani’s cry echoed across the city.

  She stared at the ground as it rushed up to meet her. Too fast, too fast, it was all too fast, she was going to die –

  But there was a flurry of bodies, a blur of movement below, and suddenly Mei was springing off Xiang’s hands, swinging onto one of the lantern lines, then flipping to another, just like she did on the rigging, and –

  There.

  She caught Lintang mid-swing. The night twirled upside down as they flipped, swung, moved with the momentum, and suddenly … they were on the ground.

  Lintang stumbled and fell over. It felt as though she’d left her heart and stomach somewhere on the second floor. Her injured arm throbbed. She could feel blood trickling down her skin.

  ‘Lintang? Lintang!’ Bayani’s voice was frantic as he dived to his knees beside her. ‘Are you hurt?’

  Lintang clapped a hand over his face to make sure he was real. ‘Am I dead?’

  ‘No,’ he said, pulling her hand away. ‘Thank the Gods, thank the Gods –’

  ‘I’d like to think I had something to do with it,’ Mei said, sounding disgruntled.

  ‘Thank you, too,’ Bayani said.

  ‘Yes, thank you, Mei,’ Lintang said, then she hugged Bayani, because almost dying had left her with a shaky, frantic love for everyone, even if they had secrets, even if she’d been mad at them before. He was her best friend, and that was never going to change. Not now she’d stared death in the face. Their friendship was too important to let little things get in the way.

  ‘Well done with that sleeper,’ Xiang said. ‘I’ll make a warrior out of you yet.’

  Lintang glanced up. Governor Karnezis lay on the invisible top step, snoring.

  Captain Shafira hauled her to her feet. ‘Come on. The square won’t be evacuated for much longer.’

  ‘Where are we going?’ Lintang said.

  ‘Where do you think, kipper?’ Quahah said, offering a hand to help Bayani up. Despite her height, she was very strong. ‘Back to the ship.’

  ‘The Winda?’ Lintang couldn’t believe it. ‘We’re going back to the Winda?’

  ‘You’ve earned your place,’ Captain Shafira said.

  Eire exhaled noisily, but no one paid her any attention.

  Lintang’s head spun. She was going back to the Winda, somehow, impossibly.

  She clutched her aching arm. ‘What about Bayani?’

  Captain Shafira untied her red kerchief from her neck. ‘Take off your coat.’ Lintang pulled off Xiang’s borrowed coat, and Captain Shafira wrapped her kerchief painfully tight around Lintang’s wound. When she was done, she turned to Bayani. ‘I don’t know, Bayani. It’s dangerous in Zaiben, but it’s safer than being on the ship. Wouldn’t you agree?’

  ‘I want to go where Lintang is,’ Bayani said. He swallowed hard. ‘Please.’

  Lintang squeezed his hand. He didn’t look at her.

  ‘You can’t leave him here, Captain; the governors are as mad as cackling crows,’ Quahah said.

  Captain Shafira hesitated, studying Bayani a heartbeat longer before saying, ‘Right, let’s go then.’ She and the others slipped off their cloaks. They were wearing vigil jackets underneath, a disguise to get them through the city safely. They had thought of everything.

  ‘I’m really allowed to go with you?’ Lintang said as they started for the empty road.

  ‘You didn’t tell him where my necklace was, did you?’ Captain Shafira said.

  ‘No, but –’

  ‘He offered you gems, didn’t he?’ Mei said.

  ‘Yes, but –’

  ‘And you followed the captain’s orders to jump off the roof, didn’t you?’ Xiang said.

  ‘Yes, but –’

  ‘Did he tell you about Ambassador Farah?’ Captain Shafira said, pausing in the shadow of a building as a group of real vigil hurried past. ‘That I tortured and killed her and her family, and burned their house to the ground?’

  ‘Yes, but I didn’t believe him,’ Lintang said, determined to get the rest of her sentence out this time. ‘I know you’d never do anything like that.’

  Captain Shafira waited until the vigil were gone before leading the group out onto the street. ‘So you trust me. And you’ve proved that I can trust you. That’s all I’ve ever asked for.’

  Lintang released a shaky breath. She was really going back to the Winda. The memory of the entire horrible day melted away until all that was left was joy, sparking in her like a beacon.

  ‘Pelita will be thrilled to see you again,’ Xiang said, giggling.

  Captain Shafira glanced at her sideways. ‘Why is that funny?’

  ‘She’s awake,’ said Quahah.

  ‘So?’

  ‘So,’ said Xiang with a wicked smile, ‘let’s just say she’s regained her energy.’

  The Ex-Pixie

  ‘YOU’RE BACK!’

  Lintang braced herself as a whirlwind rushed towards her. Bayani stepped in front to take the hit, and both he and Pelita toppled onto the deck.

  ‘Oh,’ Lintang said as Pelita kissed Bayani a dozen times on the cheek.

  ‘Exactly,’ said Xiang, climbing out of the rowboat.

  Lintang gazed around. The Winda was how she’d left it, familiar in the lantern light. The pulleys and masts clacked above her, the deck bobbed with the waves and she caught a faint whiff of euco oil through the salty breeze. It was like coming home.

  Pelita jumped up, giving Lintang several wet kisses on the cheek too. ‘I know you. You gave me gross mashed potato. Potato Girl!’

  ‘Lintang.’ Bayani climbed painfully to his feet. ‘Her name is Lintang.’ He glanced at Hewan. ‘Is she all right?’

  ‘I can’t imagine being a pixie for a hundred and twenty years was good for her developing brain,’ Hewan said.

  Pelita gripped Bayani’s arm and yanked him back and forth. ‘Niti’s festival is tomorrow!’

  ‘She’s very excited about Niti’s festival,’ Avalon said. ‘She’s been talking about it since she woke up.’

  Bayani looked strangely pale in the light.

  Pelita danced from Xiang to Eire to Mei to Quahah, trying to give them kisses too. They deftly avoided her, except Quahah, who was smaller than Pelita and had no way to escape unless she stabbed her with her little knife. From the look on Quahah’s face as Pelita tugged on the tentacles of her woolly octopus hat, she might’ve been considering it.

  Lintang recognised the pants and shirt Pelita was wearing from Avalon’s chest of old clothes. They sagged on her tiny frame.

  Avalon turned to Xiang. ‘Did anyone recognise you?’

  ‘Unfortunately, yes,’ Xiang said with a sigh. ‘A governor, no less.’

  ‘I suppose you couldn’t stay pretend-dead forever,’ Mei said.

  They turned as Captain Shafira called for everyone to gather around.

  ‘Lintang showed great trust in me in Zaiben,’ Captain Shafira said. ‘She’s now welcome back on the Winda, not as a cabin girl, but as a guest, like before.’

  Dee cheered. Pelita released Quahah and cheered too, although she probably didn’t know what she was cheering about. Yamini spun on her heel and stalked down the hatch without a word.

  ‘What’s the plan then, Captain?’ Quahah said. ‘Are we going to try to cure the sirens?’

  Lintang gasped. ‘Sirens!’ She’d forgotten in the chaos. ‘Governor Karnezis sent a hunter for them this morning.’

  ‘No one else knows the truth,’ Bayani said. ‘We have to stop t
hem.’

  Eire narrowed her eyes. ‘We have no medicine. No point risking life.’

  ‘The hunting ship will have Curall,’ Captain Shafira said thoughtfully.

  Eire swung to her. ‘You are joking.’

  ‘You were happy to go after them when we were killing them,’ Lintang said.

  ‘Killing easy. Saving lives, not.’ Eire gestured to Pelita. ‘It took girl long time to turn back. How we face sirens for long time without kill?’

  ‘I say we try,’ Bayani said. Captain Shafira glanced at him. He looked at her meaningfully. ‘What’s going to happen will happen no matter what. We should save the lives of those sirens if we can.’

  Captain Shafira stared at him for a long time. He stared back. They seemed to be having either a battle of wills or some silent conversation.

  Lintang’s heart sank as she watched them. More secrets. She didn’t know what Bayani thought was going to happen, but Captain Shafira obviously did.

  Lintang didn’t say anything, though. She’d already decided these things weren’t going to get in the way of their friendship.

  At last, Captain Shafira said, ‘All right, let’s do it. Zazi, to the helm. Mei, the rigging. Set a course for due east. Quahah, you’re on navigation. We’re going to save some sirens.’

  Pelita cheered again, but the rest of the crew was already starting to move.

  ‘You think we’ll be able to catch up to the hunting ship?’ Bayani said.

  ‘The captain would have to gather an all-female crew, fill out reports, top up weapon supplies … I’d say we have a very good chance. Hewan, get your medical kit. Lintang needs to have her wound restitched. Dee, Farah, organise some food for Bayani – he hasn’t eaten in a while.’

  ‘Sure thing, Captain,’ Farah-the-clam-shell said.

  Bayani groaned. ‘Thank the Gods.’ He followed Dee down the hatch. Pelita skipped after them.

  But Lintang remained. She’d finally worked out something she should’ve put together hours ago.

  ‘Farah-the-clam-shell,’ she said slowly, ‘is Ambassador Farah.’

  ‘Yes.’ Captain Shafira’s voice was quiet, unheard by the other crew bustling around them. ‘At least, in Dee’s mind she is.’

  ‘Ambassador Farah was Dee’s mother?’